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FLAG
The blue field is for the sky and the
forget-me-not, the state flower. The North Star is for the future of the state of Alaska,
the most northerly of the Union. The dipper is for the Great Bear, symbolizing strength.
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STATE SEAL
The state seal was originally designed in 1910
while Alaska was a territory and not a state. The rays above the mountains represent the
Northern Lights. The smelter symbolizes mining. The train stands for Alaska's
railroads, and ships denote transportation by sea. The trees symbolize Alaska's
wealth of forests, and the farmer, his horse, and the three shocks of wheat represent
Alaskan agriculture. The fish and the seals signify the importance of fishing and wildlife
to Alaska's economy.
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FLOWER
The forget-me-not, which grows well throughout
Alaska, is the state flower.
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GEM
Alaska's state gem is jade. Alaska has
large deposits of the gem. An entire mountain of jade is on the Seward Peninsula. |
FISH
The giant king salmon, which weighs up
to 100 pounds, is the state fish.
 TREE
The tall, stately Sitka spruce is the state tree.
It is found in southeastern and central Alaska. |
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SPORT
Dog mushing is the state sport. It was
once a primary form of transportation in many areas of Alaska. |
 BIRD
The pheasant-like willow ptarmigan is
the state bird. This bird changes color from light brown in summer to snow white in
winter. |
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MINERAL
Gold is the state mineral. Gold has
played a major role in Alaska's history. |
LAND
MAMMAL
The moose was made the official Alaska
land mammal when Governor Tony Knowles signed SB 265 into law on May 1, 1998. Moose can be
found from the Unuk River in Southeast to the Arctic Slope, but are most abudant in
second-growth birch forests, on timberline plateaus and along major rivers of Southcentral
and Interior. They are not found on islands in Prince William Sound or the Bering Sea, on most major islands in
Southeast, on Kodiak, or the Aleutians groups. |
Moose can be found in the marshes during the summer. They find food on the bottoms of the marsh. |
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